Relation of Chronicity, Severity and Number of Episodes of Maternal Major Depressive Disorder to Children's Psychopathology and Functioning in Grade 12

Abstract:

The relations between chronicity, severity, and number of episodes of maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) and child outcomes at grade 12 were examined in a sample of 185 mothers and children. Main effects models indicated that beyond control variables and other MDD characteristics, higher total number of MDD episodes was significantly related to higher child-reported internalizing symptoms and marginally significant in the prediction of greater child-reported self-criticism and lower self-worth. Greater maximum severity of MDD was a significant predictor of lower mother-reported externalizing symptoms. Results indicate the importance of studying the simultaneous effects of multiple characteristics of maternal MDD on a variety of outcomes in adolescents.